A snapped spring is the most common reason a door suddenly won't lift. Here's what it means, how to spot it, and why forcing the door makes it worse.
No, don't keep using a garage door with a broken spring. The spring carries the door's full weight, so once it snaps the door can drop suddenly or overload the opener. The usual signs are a loud bang, the door lifting only a few centimetres then stopping, or a visible gap in the coiled spring above the door. Keep clear and have it replaced. Fair Go Garage Door replaces springs same-day across the Gold Coast, Tweed Coast and Northern Rivers. Get a free quote through the form on this page.
A garage door is heavy, often 80 kilos or more. The springs above or beside the door are wound with tension so they carry that weight, which is what lets the opener (or your own arms) move the door easily. When a spring breaks, all that weight lands somewhere it shouldn't: on the opener, on the cables, or on you.
With the spring gone, the only things holding the door are the cables and the opener, neither of which is built to carry the full weight for long. Forcing it, or hitting the opener button over and over, can snap a cable, bend a panel, or burn out the motor, turning a straightforward spring job into a bigger repair. It's also a safety risk: a door with a broken spring can come down fast.
Honestly, we'd say no. Garage door springs are under enormous tension, and releasing or winding one without the right tools and training is how people end up badly hurt. This is the one part of a garage door we'd never suggest a DIY on. It's quick and safe for a technician who does it every day.
It's usually a same-day, under-an-hour job: we release the old spring safely, fit a matched replacement (in pairs where your door has two, since the second is usually the same age), re-balance the door, and reset the opener's force so everything runs smoothly again. You get the full price upfront, and the callout and diagnosis are free either way.
Need it sorted? See our garage door spring replacement service, or just get in touch, it's free to find out what it needs.